A top Qatari legal mind yesterday stressed the need to take a relook at some of the amended provisions of the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law (No.3 of 2019).
Participating in a panel discussion, hosted by Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) yesterday, Yousif Ahmad Al Zaman, Chairman, Zaman for Legal Services and Attorneys said the amended article 22 of the law, which came into effect on Sunday, is a fit case for review.
As per the amended article 22, Al Zaman noted, the Court of First Instance, shall have jurisdiction to hear at first instance all civil and commercial lawsuits as well as claims for damages, where the value of the lawsuit does not exceed QR500,000. The judgments issued by the said in matters not exceeding QR30,000 shall not subject to appeal. Al Zaman said this will lead to the overburdening of the court due the piling up of cases. He suggested to transfer the cases that are not more than QR100,000 in value to a separate competent body to reduce the load of the Court of First Instance or the Partial Court.
Al Zaman was also of the view the clause that the judgment on the lawsuits where the value does not exceed QR30,000 shall not subject to appeal, should be reviewed. He noted that the value of 50-60 percent of the law suits filed before the court are below QR500,000. Al Zaman, however, hailed the amendment of most other articles.
The seminar witnessed the attendance of President of the Court of Cassation and President of the Supreme Judiciary Council, H E Dr. Hassan bin Lahdan Al Hassan Al Mohannadi. Over 250 lawyers and legal experts explored the effects of the recent amendments on the various stages of civil and commercial dispute resolution process. The “Civil and Commercial Procedures Highlights” seminar tackled a series of specialised discussions and topics, exploring the effects of the recent amendments of some provisions of the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law on the civil and commercial dispute resolution process and featuring a panel of renowned local legal experts and industry professionals.
The Chief Executive Officer of Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, Faisal Al-Sahouti, said: “QICDRC continues to lead the legal development efforts in Qatar by setting up a distinguished legal framework and delivering specialised educational programs that aim engage the local legal community with valuable learning and career development opportunities.”
Al-Sahouti also added: “As civil and commercial legislation continues to change and accommodate the State of Qatar’s economic diversification aspirations, we are keen to accelerate the development of local laws and legal foundations that govern international businesses and forge in investments.”
“As Qatar continues to institute legislative and judicial reforms, several significant amendments to the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law have been introduced which should not only streamline the judicial process and court case handling, but also reallocates various competencies with a view to increasing efficiency and avoiding backlogs. In addition, the amendments introduce significant changes to the composition of the courts and judicial process.
Having been in private practice for 20 years, I am intrigued to see the practical impact these changes will have. As a law firm, Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners is pleased to have co-sponsored this seminar, which gave us the platform to discuss these and other important developments arising from the new law, and its potential implications,” said Sultan Al-Abdulla, Managing Partner, Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners.
Mubarak bin Abdulla Al-Sulaiti, Chairman, Al-Sulaiti Law Firm, said that “H H the Amir has prioritised the acceleration of the development of the legislative sector in Qatar as one of the main pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The recent amendments in several of the State of Qatar’s laws and legislations come as a result of the HH the Amir’s directive to apply fundamental reforms in the legislative sector that aim to ensure the effectiveness of judicial process.”
QICDRC is a specialised, international legal authority that contributes to the economic development of Qatar, advances the development of the commercial laws in Qatar and the region and sets up a global model for a world-class legal framework that ensures justice and continuous innovation.
Source from: The Peninsula